RTS (Radio Teleswitch being turned off in March ---- help needed ) !

Scot_39

@rebecca1

It's not obvious from that picture your RTS is actually doing the load switching for any restricted time supply (live nominally 7 hr only if E7).

It has power in from the mains fuse and the rate control signal wire back to the dual rate meter.

But no meter output tail for a switched live obviously visible.

On other pictures I can see on web  there is a switched supply output availablr on the bottom RHS of that series of teleswitch - e.g. see piccy here.  Sadly cannot quickly on my phone find a wiring diagram to confirm.

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/question-re-meter-box.94088/


So for your hot water and any night storage heaters - do they have individual timer controls ?

You mention Dimplex - which model series - some older NSH need only off peak timed (restricted) supply, newer need 24/7 and off peak timed, and later generation like quantums can be wired to 24/7 feed only but with own timers set to restrict when draw main charge to off peak times.  How many fused switch supplies next to each heater ?


Any meter fitter should be able to replicate the system either way. But these days it will almost certainly be a smart meter.


Have you thought about Costs of going SR 

I know you are not keen on switching - but going single rate may have a significant cost penalty attached - if you are a moderate to high off peak user (most heating even moderately with electric heating only will be better off on E7).

My annual E10 off peak is 75-80% of my total  - and I run a colder house than many of my friends - it dips into low 50sin summer when not heating - but peaks over 90% in coldest weeks of winter even for me.  If I het whole house a few degrees warmer - like the 18-21 recommended by nhs/ age concern etc - it would be even higher off peak use.

Taking EDF EM E7 DD current rates as they publish openly as a guide
E7 34.99p / kWh peak, 16.28 off peak (not from posts here in some regions the cheapest off peak vs peak balance supplier - it varies between suppliers and regions- some might be c40p vs 12p etc)

SR 28.02p.

At 40% off peak, Ave E7 = 27.56p
At 50%, ave = 25.7p
At 75%, ave = 21.03p
At 90%, ave = 18.24p

There are though some on E7 who use less - e.g. a recent poster used only 21% - so was paying a higher ave rate.  But suspect wasn't reliant on electric heating.

Ofgem Mid level tdcv all electric = 3900kWh pa - every penny difference on ave price vs SR at that consumption level costs £39 pa.

Have you looked at your split and done a cost comparison ?

Off peak units × off peak rate + peak units x peak rate 
Vs
Total units x single rate

If a high user of off peak on a decent rate even at typical consumption - E7 could be saving you not just £10s but potentially £100s annually.

I'd personally need a very good reason not to take smart - potentially as above smart in dumb mode - if was going to cost me that sort of amount.

Scot_39

SAC2334 said:

On the subject of THTC meters which should be of interest to all on this metering set up ,a poster on Octopus Tracker chat has reported that after a complaint to Ovo (SSE) she finally got a smart  meter fitted for both her meters and immediately switched supplier to Octopus and is now on Octopus Tracker with a huge drop in kWh prices .
After the hostage of THTC she's finally rid of this meter and Ovos very high rates.
I have a friend in Aberdeenshire on THTC  who has asked a few times to have smart meters fitted to SSE and OVO only to be refused .
Looks like making a complaint may be  the way of escape because Neither OVO or EDf are keen to fit smart meters..Probably because they know the customer leaves immediately 

Don't want to divert from this RTS thread for rebecca1 - especially as THTC really is a more complex system - and reliant on RTS signal for variable time of use off peak restricted heating slot adaption - from 5 to 12 hours daily - abd switching to simple metering is unlikely to provide that flexibility on timings - or in some cases even any restricted supply swiching itself -  needing at owners cost modifications.

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/article/electric-heating/other-two-meter-tariffs

Note at the top of that Ovo page  - the point they are planning to end support for some of their legacy tariffs and metering / inc potential warnings re domestic wiring implications.

Not everyone would be willing to risk Tracker - moreso after recent price formulae increase -  but that might have dropped again in line with Ofgem cap.
But others with rts will be paying less on average than SR billing at Ofgem cap - and likely to continue to do so on a fixed time of use E7 tariff.

And very high e7 users could even be paying less than Tracker prices on the right e7 deal.  But then they would probably choose agile.